Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-03-18
OLYMPIA. W, ,iNGTON TER.
0,lsPIA, FRIDAY EVENING, Mr.. Is. BH.
civil Service Reform.

NtEN NtipTlu.
Mr. Judkins. The Orenonjans Wash
ington correspondent, who seems Ia
have way OF getting u, the true in
wardness of things. writes that journal
under date OF the l4th instant. and by
authority OF Appointment Clerk Hig-
gins, of the Treasury Department, that
" last week the President again sent for
the application papers in the case OF
the Collector OF Customs at Portland.
and that Saturday he sent to the De-
partment to see if any other papers
had since been filed. The removals
made ny the President within the past
few days. taken together with certain
proceedings in different Government
Departments, lead one to infer that
the renewal of most of the remaining
Republican office-holiers will be only
a matter Of time. In the Postotfice
Department the officials are having
prepared by States printed lists OF all
Republicans vet in, whose offices are
Presidential. Oregon has not yet been
reached, but the books show that in
the State there are six Republican
postmasters, and in Washington Terri
tory three. Terms OF the Receivers of
the Land Offices at Oregon City and
The Dalles have expired within the
past few days. Their successors are
expected to be named soon"
Besides the" three Republican Post
masters" shown in "the books" We
have various other officers, Of higher
degree, which it is hoped the President
will reach, now that the tenure of Of
fee act stands no longer in the way of
development of civil service reform.
We have q Governor, who, nOtwith-
standing he held Office by the grace
of Democratic Administration, was
so perniciously active when the tenure
of the Territorial officers expired, a
year ago, that he filled every impor-
tant position in the whole list, from ac-
tive. if not offensive, partisans of his
own faith. We have Territorial Sec.
rotary, who, at the precise time Mr.
Cleveland was before the people for
election as a reform Chief Magistrate
Travelled through the country and
made speeches of the most ultra Re
publican nature, and subsequently
used the patronage Of his Office to Dol
ster up and sustain a newspaper bear
ing the suggestive name Of the Pdrti
san, which was, and ever has been
outspoken in its denunciation OF De
mocracy and the Administration. We
have q Receiver in the Land Office
who in years past, in the absence Of bet
ter qualifications, turned his talents t
minstrelsy and sang doggerel songs al
campaign meetings, derisive OF Demo
Gratis and Democratic methods. W.
have q Clerk of the District Cour
whose talents ran in the same way ant
who shouted in tenor a refrain to thu
Receivers baritone-a man who only
a few months ago became SO PERM
ciously active that he organized p;
Fiambeau Club to show off the Repub
lican candidate for Congress, and VIII,
was employed many days that shoul,
have been devoted to official duty il
drumming up audiences to listen Il
an arraignment of the Administration
and bitter denunciation Of its friends
As chairman of the local Republican
Central Committee, he planned boil
and aggressive campaign, which re
quired money Gas well as cheek, I'm
der the circumstances) to execute
Whence did it come? The writer, a
head of the Democratic committee
found it very difficult to raise none
for meeting ordinary and legitimat
expenses. The few Democratic off
Gals could not, Of course, give anythin
without violating the spirit, if not tn
letter, of the civil service rules; tn
local candidates were poor, and tn
party at large still poorer, in purse
having been debarred from the crib 70
more than quarter of a century
The Republican county candidate
were by no means wealthy, still tn
Ninki Poo of their committee SCENE
to have unlimited means for CON
manding all the resources of his vivi
Imagination. Does anybody for me
ment believe that the principal play
ers failed to put up a" blind" whe
the cards we're dealt7
There is work to be done, Mr.. Pres
dent, here. These gentlemen shout
not longer be left in position wher
they may laugh in their sleeves" q
the sturdy yeomanry who have lahore
and prayed SO long for a reform tha
would wipe out methods that had mad
the very name of Republican odiou
Neither the influence Of powerf,
friends nor the mistaken idea thu
their retention in Office enforces innot
uous desuetude should longer con
pei the majority of the people to recot
nize them as rulers in Israel. An
when it comes to an application {
what seems to be the Presidential ide
of vested rights in a term of Office. til
fact should not be lost sight OF tbs
our Territorial Secretary resigned h
Office and secured reappointmer
only few weeks before Mr.. Clevelan
was inaugurated, SO as to extend h